Shoreline along coastal regions or surrounding lakes and other bodies of water erode over time. The erosion reshapes the bank around the body of water. The changes in the bank can have an adverse affect on the landscape, adjacent structures, and the like. For the purpose of this disclosure, the term “shoreline” is intended to encompass the boundary line between of any body of water and land.
Shoreline erosion may due to one or more of a variety of factors including, for example, water motion, wave action, irrigation of landscaping, rainfall runoff, settling, gravity, loss of vegetation, earthquakes, loosening of ground structure caused by burrowing and other motion of animals, fish, wildlife, and the like.
Motion of the water can also be caused by any of a number of conditions including, for example, wind across a fetch, tidal flows, man-driven flow (such as drainage pumping), action of animals, motion of boats, water flow, drainage structures, pool drainage, irrigation runoff, rainfall collection, and the like.
Settling occurs as fine sediment filling in areas between larger constituents, such as rocks, is drawn away from a shoreline, bank, and/or coastline. The removal of the sediment reduces support and stability of the larger constituents. The less stable larger constituents are then subjected to effects of gravity, causing them to move downward towards a basin of the body of water.
Vegetation can spreads roots throughout the upper portion of a shoreline, bank, and/or coastline regions. The roots tend to collect and retain sediment. The less plants growing in the soil, the more likely that erosion will occur. If the vegetation is removed or dies off, the effect of the beneficial effects of roots in reducing erosion is diminished. Vegetation can be impacted by changes in the shoreline. As the water rises, the water can kill the vegetation. The loss of vegetation reduces the support of the shoreline composition (e.g., sediment, sand, rocks, shells, and dirt), causing degradation of the shoreline.
Any other introduction of movement to the coastal or shoreline area could further aid in erosion. Movement of animals, fish, and wildlife along the shoreline, earthquakes, wind, and the like can all contribute to the degradation of the shoreline.
Various methods are known for aiding in the restoration of degraded shoreline and minimizing/preventing subsequent erosion of shoreline regions along bodies of water. However, each of the known solutions has disadvantages, drawbacks and/or limitations.
A common method of restoration is simply re-grading and re-sodding along an eroded stretch of shoreline. This fails to provide a long-term, preventative solution to the erosion problem.
It is known to use certain structures such as sheet pilings and bulkheads along a shore to provide a vertical barrier between the shoreline region and the water. Sheet pilings are a retaining wall providing a barrier between the land and the body of water. The sheet pilings are commonly fabricated of reinforced concrete or steel sheets. These present an unnatural and, to some extent, an unsightly appearance that are often discouraged by water control districts.
An alternative to sheet pilings is referred to as a riprap, which comprises layers of filled bags creating a barrier between the shoreline area and the body of water. The bags are commonly arranged on an incline. Alternatively, the riprap can be fabricated of dispensed rubble, such as varying sized rocks. The riprap can be considered unsightly.
Another restoration method involves the deployment of gabions. Gabions are cages or baskets deployed to retain soil and stabilize the shoreline, with the goal of controlling the rate of erosion. The gabions are typically stacked in layers to form a wall or barrier in a similar manner as the filled bags creating the aforementioned riprap. The gabions can be considered unsightly. In order to deter corrosion of the artificial structure, gabions are commonly fabricated of stainless steel, which significantly raises the cost of the restoration process.
Another restoration method is the application of a covering material to the affected area, wherein the covering is intended to secure the underlying soil. This solution relies upon the longevity of the material, adequate cover, and remains void of deterring any underlying erosion.
Accordingly, there is a long felt and unmet need for a shoreline erosion restoration and prevention method that can be efficiently implemented to effectively restore an eroded shoreline and/or prevent future shoreline erosion, and which retains a shoreline region in a natural looking, aesthetically-pleasing along a body of water in a desirable arrangement over an extended period of time. The system would include features to protect the areas against erosion resulting from any number of common and normal occurrences, such as water flow, rainfall, storms, wind, animals, and the like.